Shipping container system for stabilizing flexible loads

ABSTRACT

A shipping assembly for securing and stabilizing a load for truck transportation using recyclable components. The shipping assembly includes multiple support structures positioned about the load with oppositely disposed end cap assemblies to stabilize and protect the load which is comprised of multiple elongated semi-rigid containers.

This is a CIP patent application of Ser. No. 09/307,870 U.S. Pat. No.6,152,663, filed May 10, 1999 which is a CIP of Ser. No. 08/998,195 U.S.Pat. No. 6,050,761, filed Dec. 24, 1997.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This shipping assembly relates to shipping of multiple units ofelongated packaged material that have little torsional rigidity and istherefore difficult to secure on a flat bed truck or the like withoutusing heavy structural encasement systems of wood and metal banding

2. Description of Prior Art

Prior art shipping systems have relied on a variety of crating materialsuch as wood to form rigid bundles of the load. Such systems generatelarge quantities of waste material that requires costly processing anddisposal of including metal components such as strapping, lumber andassociated hardware such as nails and the like. Other shipping containersystems have been developed for special products, see for example U.S.Pate. Nos. 4,314,783, 2,284,616, 2,283,930 and 1,876,758.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,783 a quick release load securing device can beseen in which high tension banding is used to secure a load on arailroad car. A release device holds the banding in tension about theload. The release element on the device can be quickly released byengagement with a hammer.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,284,161 is directed to a means and method of assemblingmetallic articles for shipment. The method employs metal banding that iswrapped about and between the bundles of rod-like materials formingmultiple groups that are held in place more easily on the truck.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,283,930 discloses a shipping and assembly system formetallic articles that use multiple spacers between stacked sheets thatare then banded together by interweaving bands that extend around eachstack and interconnect same together.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,876,758 is directed to a shipping method and apparatusthat forms stacks of packs separated by wood strips and sheets that arethen bound together by upright bracing elements and wires.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A shipping system for securing multiple elongated packages of syntheticsiding material into transportable bundles adapted to over the roadshipping by truck. The shipping system utilizes interconnectingretaining brackets positioned about groups of packages on a continuouspallet member. The brackets are formed from recyclable process cellulosematerial in pre-formed structural shapes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an expanded isometric view of the shipping assembly of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view generally on lines 2—2 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged isometric view of a center top portion of theshipping assembly of the invention with portions broken away;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged isometric view of a center bottom portion of theshipping assembly of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view on lines 5—5 of FIG.1 with portions broken away;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view on lines 6—6 of FIG.1 with portions broken away; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the shipping container system ofthe invention on a load ready to be shipped.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a shipping assembly 10 of theinvention can be seen having an intermediate support assembly 11 andoppositely disposed end cap assemblies 12. The intermediate supportassembly 11 has a pair of cellulose base pads 13 and multiple pairs ofupstanding support tubes 14 with an overlying interconnecting element15. The base pads 13 have a honeycomb center of interconnected cellulosebands 16 on edge between upper and lower encasement paper skins 18 aswill be well understood by those skilled in the art. As such, the basepads 13 provide a raised insulated surface for a load L illustrated inFIG. 6 of the drawings. The upstanding support tubes 14 are of a“Sonoco”* post type in which layers of cellulose paper are wrappedaround a mandrel, not shown, and glued and then removed providing a freestanding rigid tubular assembly as illustrated in FIG. 2 of thedrawings.

The overlying interconnecting element 15 is made from multiple layers ofcardboard sheets of longitudinally fluted construction having pairs ofoppositely disposed notches 19 and 20 registerable with the upstandingsupport tubes 14 inwardly from its respective ends 21 and 22. Abaseboard 23 (typically of a hard board fabrication) extends between therespective honeycomb base pads 13 overlying adjacent portions thereof.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3 and 6 of the drawings, a plurality of cornerflaps 24 can be seen positioned over the free ends of the support tubes14 and the notches in the interconnecting element 15 as well as thehoneycomb base pads 13 respectively.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 5 of the drawings, the end cap assemblies12 are illustrated for respective engagement over a base assembly havinga hereinbefore described honeycomb base pad 13 with pairs of oppositelydisposed upstanding support tubes 25 that act as spacers and supportelements. The end cap assemblies 12 have preformed two-part constructionwith a closure 26 defining a top flap 27 and a bottom flap 28 andintegral sidewall flaps 29 and 30 extending therebetween all of whichare in a dimensional configuration to fit over and enclose thehereinbefore described assembled base assemblies 13 illustrated in FIG.1 of the drawings.

The top and bottom flaps 27 and 28 are notched inwardly from theirrespective free ends at 27A and 28A so as to effectively beforeshortened. This notching provides a registration space for therespective tube pairs 25 during assembly over the load L. A plurality ofindependent corner flaps 31 are positioned on the respective corners ofthe end cap assemblies 12 and extend over the respective ends of thesupport tubes 25. A retaining sleeve 32 or alternately banding 36 ispositioned over the respective closures 26 securing the pre-positionedcorner flaps 31 on the closure assembly.

An elongated continuous paper pallet member 13A overlies the base board23 of the intermediate support assembly 11 and the base pads 13 in therespective end cap assemblies as best seen in FIGS. 1, 6, and 7 of thedrawings. The paper pallet member 13A is of the same construction as thehereinbefore described base pads 13 having a honeycomb construction ofinterconnected cellular bands 16′ on edge between upper and lowerencasement paper skins 18′. To complete the shipping assembly about theload L, a pair of elongated angle edge guards 33 extend along the entirelength of the shipping assembly 10 in its respective upper interiorcorners which, in reality, would be on the outer perimeter upper edgesof the load L as shown in broken lines in illustration 6 of thedrawings.

The elongated angle edge guard pair 33 are formed from cellulosematerial, specifically cardboard and are of a length greater than thatof the load L so that the end cap assemblies will be uniform regardlessof the load length inconsistency. It will be apparent that the edgeguard pairs 33 are held in place by the overlapping interconnectingelement 15 and the top flanges 27 of the respective end cap assemblies.

To secure the components of the shipping assembly 10 about the load L aplurality banding strips 35, preferably of synthetic resin material areemployed around the respective intermediate support assembly structures11 specifically over the transversely aligned corner flaps 29 and theirrespective support tubes 14 as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 of thedrawings. Additional pairs of banding strips 36A extend longitudinallyaround the length of the shipping container assembly 10 engaging therespective end cap assemblies 12 as best seen in in FIG. 1 of thedrawings as will be well understood by those skilled in the art.

The entire shipping assembly 10 of the invention is then transverselystretch wrapped in elastic synthetic resin film 38 as best seen in FIG.7 of the drawings to form a continuous monolithic bundle of material.

The viability of such cellulose construction components of the shippingassembly of the invention will be self-evident in that they can easilybe processed and recycled creating a valuable resource for the endreceiver. The shipping assembly 10 defines a stabilization system forthe load L formed of multiple elongated containers C which have littletorsional rigidity and thus requires special securing structures toprovide ease of loading and unloading and stability in shipping.

Alternately, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatsubstitution can be made for certain elements of the shipping assembly10 of the invention such as to substitute wood, not shown, in place ofthe vertical support tubes 14 if so desired without changing thestructural integrity of the overall shipping assembly.

It will thus be seen that a new and useful shipping assembly fornon-rigid elongated loads has been illustrated and described and it willbe apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

Therefore We claim:
 1. A shipping assembly for shipment of elongatedcontainers of semi-rigid material by securing a plurality of likedimensional containers into an integral bundle, said shipping assemblycomprises: a plurality of longitudinally spaced parallel base pads,having oppositely disposed pairs of upstanding support tubes extendingtherefrom, connecting elements interconnecting some of said upstandingsupport tube pairs, a plurality of corner flaps on the ends of saidupstanding support tubes, a base board extending between intermediatebase pads opposite one of said connecting elements an elongated palletoverlying said base pads and said base board, end cap assembliesextending over some of said support tubes and related base pads, meansfor interengaging said end cap assemblies and said elongated pallet andupstanding support tube pairs on said integral bundle of likedimensional containers, and means for securing said shipping assemblyabout said integral bundle.
 2. The shipping assembly set forth in claim1 wherein said base pads are panels formed of cellulose constructionhaving a honeycomb core between two containment outer sheet surfaces. 3.The shipping assembly set forth in claim 1 wherein said support tubesare of multiple layered cellulose sheet construction.
 4. The shippingassembly set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said connecting elementsinterconnecting some of said support tube pairs to one anothercomprises: an elongated cardboard sheet having a plurality ofpositioning notches within.
 5. The shipping assembly set forth in claim1 wherein one of said connecting elements interconnecting some of saidsupport tube pairs to one another comprises; a said base board overlyingintermediate one of said base-pads.
 6. The shipping assembly set forthin claim 4 wherein said positioning notches are engageable aroundoppositely disposed pairs of said respective support tubes.
 7. Theshipping assembly set forth in claim 1 wherein said end cap assembliescomprises an end cap having a top and bottom flap extending therefrom, apair of spaced parallel sidewall flaps in spaced relation to saidrespective top and bottom flaps and means for securing said end caps onsaid bundle.
 8. The shipping assembly set forth in claim 7 wherein saidmeans for securing said cap on said bundle comprises a retaining sleeve.9. The shipping assembly set forth in claim 7 wherein said means forsecuring said end caps on said bundle further comprises banding strapsabout said end caps.
 10. The shipping assembly set forth in claim 1wherein said means for interengaging said end cap assemblies andupstanding support tube pairs on the bundle of like dimensionalcontainers comprises: independent elongated angular edge guards betweensaid shipping assembly and said containers.
 11. The shipping assemblyset forth in claim 1 wherein said means for securing said shippingcontainer assembly about said integral bundle of containers comprises:banding about said tube pairs on respective said base pads, and acontinuous band of stretch wrap film extending transversely about saidshipping assembly on said container bundle.
 12. The shipping assemblyset forth in claim 1 wherein said support tubes extend from and abutfree ends of said respective base pads.
 13. The shipping assembly setforth in claim 1 wherein said baseboard extending between said base padsopposite said connecting element comprises: a sheet of hard boardmaterial having a plurality of aligned notches therein.
 14. The shippingassembly set forth in claim 1 wherein said elongated containers ofsemi-rigid material are positioned on said pallet to form said bundle.15. The shipping assembly set forth in claim 1 wherein said corner flapsare formed from cardboard material and are of a known dimensionalcharacteristic greater than that of said respective ends of said supporttubes.
 16. The shipping assembly set forth in claim 1 wherein some ofsaid corner flaps are adhesively coated on engagement surfaces.
 17. Theshipping assembly set forth in claim 1 wherein said elongated palletoverlying said base pads is formed of cellulose construction having ahoneycomb core between two containment outer sheet surfaces.